We spent some time this week updating our customer files and couldn’t resist taking a step back to look at the bigger picture—literally. The map of where Widgets are being used turned out to be pretty interesting, and we thought you’d enjoy a quick “geography lesson” of our own.

(Quick note: this data was pulled last Friday—so if you purchased your very first Widget after February 20, don’t worry… we know you’re out there!)

What We’re Seeing

As we looked across the map, a few patterns jumped out—some expected, some a little surprising:

The Southeast is a Roman Shade Hotbed
We had a feeling this might be the case, and the data confirmed it. The Southeast is full of busy workrooms and fabricators who clearly have a soft spot for Roman shades—and for Widgets.

Massachusetts = Widget E-Z Pass Lane
Our workroom friends in Massachusetts have a bit of an advantage. With our proximity, many orders arrive in just one day, at no extra charge. Fast, reliable delivery makes a difference when you’re on a deadline, and we’re glad we can help keep things moving.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas (Including Widget Orders)
The Lone Star State showed up strong. Texas continues to be a big supporter of Widgets, and we’re grateful for the steady stream of orders from across the state.

Across the Pond (and Over the Border)
We’re also proud to support customers beyond the U.S. Workrooms in Canada and the UK continue to order Widgets, and we’ve worked hard to make shipping—including customs and brokerage fees—as smooth and reasonable as possible.

A Milestone in Sight

Alongside this little geography snapshot, we noticed something else worth celebrating:

​We’re now within 10 wholesale accounts of reaching 300 accounts “in the trade.”

That’s a milestone we’re incredibly proud of.

Supporting fellow workrooms has always been at the heart of what we do. At the same time, we remain committed to helping retail customers access the specialized components they need—without having to jump through hoops or pay unreasonable prices.

Thank You
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Whether you’re across town or across the ocean, we appreciate every order, every project, and every workroom that trusts Widgets to help get the job done.

And if you’re not on the map yet… we’ll be updating it again soon. 😉

We’re pleased to announce that we are once again shipping two Hem Grips in our 4-cord Widget kits!
When our 4-cord Widget carried a 5.3 lb. weight capacity, it was beautifully smooth and easy to lower and raise. But we heard from some of you that with larger shades, it occasionally didn’t have quite enough oomph to pull the shade all the way up without a little more of an assist.

As we’ve always said, we curate our Widget Kits based on what we learn from you — our users.

So we made an adjustment.

We moved to a slightly beefier 4-cord Widget with a 6 lb. capacity, and the consensus seems clear: the lifting issue is resolved. The added strength gives larger shades the confident pull they need.

Because the new spring is a bit stiffer, we recommend that shades be planned and presented as a two-handed operation. Using two hands makes raising and lowering smoother and more comfortable for the end user.

And that’s where the return of two Hem Grips comes in. Placed at a comfortable distance apart, they naturally encourage two-handed operation — making the experience intuitive and easier from day one.

If you currently have 4-cord Widget Kits in stock and need additional Hem Grips, just let us know with your next order and we’ll be happy to ship some extras your way.
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As always, thank you for the feedback. It’s how we keep making Widgets better.

This week’s blog post is about community—and what that word truly means to us.

In the world of Widgets, community means staying connected. It’s sharing tips and wins, asking questions, learning from each other, and passing along skills we’ve honed over time. It’s the conversations that happen through this blog, our Widget World Wednesdays monthly Zoom calls, our newsletter, and the many phone calls and emails we exchange with you. That connection is at the heart of what we do.

​But community doesn’t stop at Widgets.
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Community is also where we live—and how we show up for the people around us. So if you ever notice that early in the week we’re a little slower to respond to a question or ship an order, there’s a good reason. Chris volunteers one morning a week as a cook at Gather in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an organization dedicated to ending hunger on the New Hampshire Seacoast.

Chris is part of Gather’s “Cooking 4 Community” team, a group of volunteers and staff who transform donated food—much of which might otherwise go to waste—into delicious, nutritious meals that are free to take away. The team prepares homemade soups, meals, sides, and desserts, packaging everything into ready-to-go containers so community members have wholesome food when they need it.

So if you ever wonder why we’re a little less responsive now and then, just know that Chris may have set Widgets aside to whip cream—or stir pasta—for a few hours. He’s proud of his weekly contribution to fighting hunger, and we’re proud to support the work he does to strengthen our broader community.
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Community, after all, is about showing up—wherever you’re needed most.